Which term refers to the pitch changes used to affect meaning?

• A. Tone
• B. Intonation
• C. Stress
• D. Rhythm

Answer: (A)

Pitch changes used to affect meaning are called intonation. It’s the rise and fall of voice pitch across a whole sentence or phrase that helps signal whether we’re asking a question, making a statement, stressing important information, or expressing emotion. This use of pitch goes beyond the actual words to convey intent and structure.

Tone is a broader idea about attitude or, in some languages, lexical pitch that changes word meaning. Stress refers to emphasizing particular syllables, and rhythm is the timing pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. So for signaling meaning through pitch patterns in speech, intonation is the precise term.